Page 15 - Dainfern Precinct Living 9 2020

NATURE

"Where are all the visitors?"
The COVID-19 pandemic and the
collapse of tourism deeply affected

our most famous tourist attraction –

the Kruger National Park.

fter several weeks of Worldwide, the consequences of
lockdown, we sought special the COVID-19 lockdown have been
permission to visit the Kruger fascinating. Its major effect was to
National Park to see what the cleanse the air of a considerable bulk of
Aeffects had been. All of South its poisonous burden of chemicals and
Africa’s national parks had barred visitors industrial fumes.
from March 25 and, for months, the Kruger
Park’s rest camps were empty. Some Even in notoriously polluted China, where
remained out-of-bounds even into October. wearing masks has been the norm for
years, millions of people were able to
The limits placed on movement between witness, some for the first time, a clear
provinces literally brought tourism to a halt. horizon every day.
Only after three months, people in private
vehicles were allowed into the southern Driving to Kruger, as we did once we had
region of the Kruger Park, but as day all the necessary papers (including police
visitors only. No buses or safari vehicles clearance to cross into Mpumalanga),
were allowed. we noticed how clean and fresh the air

Skukuza
Rest Camp

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DPL
DPL